Christopher shot Patented Glare #1 at him. “I’ll manage. Alone. Without a problem.”
“The main containment area’s been blow up in certain areas,” I told him. “It’s unlikely they’re there, but possible. I’d check everywhere else first, though, and I’d suggest starting with all the vehicles, because they’re probably going to do their thing and then split.”
“Don’t go alone,” Jeff said.
“We’ll go with him,” Hughes said, indicating himself and Walker. “We’ve taken our Hyperspeed Dramamine and we’re good with the high supersonic speeds. We’ll be fine.”
“And that way Christopher won’t get to kick butt all by himself and will have to share the fun, and the glory, with me and Matt,” Walker added with a grin.
“Yeah, it’ll be a party,” Christopher said. But he grabbed Hughes and Walker and they all took off.
“Where are we headed?” Jeff asked me. “Since Christopher and his flyboys are off to check the entire base.”
“Just because he’s fast doesn’t mean they’ll find who we’re looking for. If our Gang of Four Plus One have done their bad deeds, they’ll be looking to escape. We, however, are going to the main computer center. Because the bad deeds Ronaldo and his gang are perpetrating are either going to turn out to be hacking into the military’s system, launching missiles, or both.”
“Both,” Uncle Mort said. “They’re not here for grins and giggles.”
“I can agree with that. So, if we’re right, and Ronaldo and his merry gang are going for or have already hit the computers, that means they either had a linkup to Chernobog or Chernobog is here. If she’s here, would she be on the base?”
“Unlikely,” Uncle Mort said. “However, she could easily be in Cuba. In fact, it would make a lot of sense. They’d certainly be happy to house an enemy of ours.”
“Where’s the base commander?” Jeff asked. “I know you’re not officially in charge here, Mort.”
“In the same building as the computer center. At least, hopefully.” Uncle Mort sounded grim. Couldn’t blame him. I wasn’t confident we weren’t going to find a lot of dead bodies littered all over the base. They’d already killed some Marines when they broke Dier and Ronaldo out of the air—why stop there?
I was ready to run to the computer center, but my feet didn’t choose to move. Because something was wrong with all of this. The problem was that I didn’t know what. My memory really wanted me to remember something, too.
My music changed to “Who’s That Creepin’” by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Apparently Algar was a fan of this band. Went with it. The song was about someone breaking into the singer’s house. My memory deigned to share that the bad guys had been dressed like Marines.
“I think we need to split into two teams. Most of you need to go with Uncle Mort. Mahin and I need to check out something else.”
Jeff snorted. “I’m going with you. Period.”
“No, you need to go with Uncle Mort. He has to have someone who can protect him. But,” I said quickly, before anyone else could complain, “we’ll take Richard, okay?”
Jeff nodded. “James and Tim are the ones in charge, so they’ll be going with Mort. Jerry, Joe, and Randy can go along for muscle. It’s up to Chuck and Uncle Richard if they’re going with them or us, but I meant it, baby, I’m coming with you.”
“I’m going with you as well,” Chuckie said. He was giving me a look that said he knew that I was up to something. He was as hard to fool as Jeff sometimes.
“I wouldn’t miss working with my partner for anything,” White added solemnly.
“Who goes with whom isn’t as important as us all actually going,” Uncle Mort said. “I’ve managed most of my career without an A-C to drag me along, Kitty. We’ll be fine. We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s move out. Now.”
CHAPTER 69
UNCLE MORT’S TEAM trotted off at a military run that I knew they could all keep up for miles. “I still wish you’d gone with him,” I said to Jeff as we went to the door. “No A-C in that group could be a problem.”
“Why did you want to get rid of us, Missus Martini?” White asked. “What are you and Mahin up to?”
Mahin shook her head. “I have no idea. I also don’t know why we’re stopping here instead of going somewhere.”
“I want to think.” Actually, I wanted to be sure we were far enough away from the other people in this hangar that they couldn’t hear our conversation.
“I agree with Richard,” Chuckie said. “I know that innocent look you’re trying to keep on your face, Kitty.”
“I know, sorry, I just don’t want anything to happen to my uncle.”
“He’ll be protected,” Jeff said. “Now, take off your iPod and tell us what’s going on.”
Wanted to argue, but the music stopped, mid-song. Okay, Algar apparently wasn’t going to be sharing any more right now anyway. Pulled my earbuds out and tossed them and the iPod into my purse.
“Something’s wrong, and I mean above what we all know about. Ronaldo and Dier were ‘rescued’ a few days ago, right? Before they reached Guantanamo. And yet they’re here. Why go through a huge in-air rescue, and kill all those Marines, only to end up in Guantanamo anyway?”
“Because they aren’t prisoners this way,” Jeff said.
“Ronaldo used his mind control on the Marines, it’s obvious from the reports Tim got.”
“I agree,” Chuckie said. “And so do Cliff and Vander. And yes, I’ve shared intel with them in part because I have to and in part because we need their help.”
“Okay, let me know if they offered any good insights. Otherwise, I’ll keep going.” Chuckie nodded and I continued to think, or, as everyone else liked to call it, run my mouth. “Ronaldo can’t control us, and he can’t control Mahin, because she wouldn’t go with him earlier and he wanted her to. But he can’t fly, and Dier certainly can’t. So, how did they get out of the air alive?”
“No reports indicate another aircraft in the vicinity,” Chuckie said. “And believe me, we’ve been looking for one.”
“Okay. So, who rescued them?”
“I think it was the boy, Darryl,” Mahin said.
“What’s his full name?” Chuckie asked.
“Darryl Lowe. I believe, anyway. I haven’t seen his talents, but from what they said before Kitty and Gladys arrived, I believe he can do with the air what I do with the earth. I’m not certain, though.”
“Fabulous. We have an airbender, too. Does it get any better?”
“I actually know what you mean, because you made me watch that whole series,” Jeff said. “More than once. And I suppose it’s possible. But what of it, baby? Or, more to the point, we told your uncle we were splitting up, and yet we haven’t gone anywhere.”
Turned around and looked at all the people still in the hangar with us. “No, we’re still here.” Cleared my throat and spoke very softly. “Poofs assemble.” Nothing. “Poofies, Kitty needs you.” No bundles of cuteness appeared. “Mahin, I have a question. When you were left to try to stop us out there in the desert, what were your orders? I mean if you weren’t able to kill us?”
“I was to go with you as a prisoner of war. They said they would rescue me. Which, they did try to do. Though I honestly expected them to arrive much sooner.”
“Uh huh. Mister White, we’re really predictable, aren’t we? Especially if you have access to Gladys, who knows our entire playbook.”
“Yes, Missus Martini. They assumed we’d take Mahin to the Embassy. I believe we guessed that before.”
“We did, but they didn’t really count on Malcolm, and no one would have guessed Dad would be along. And they made the difference, in more than just where Mahin got taken.”